1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a taximeter, and more particularly, a taximeter to prevent "highflagging" and tampering.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of taxi meters, it has been a general practice to employ mechanical and recently, electronic taximeters. The taximeters most commonly employed in taxis in the United States presently are turned on and off manually by the taxi drivers. These taximeters employ an odometer to measure the distance and a clock to measure the time of a trip. Taxi fares ordinarily are based on a given rate per mile or fraction thereof, or on a given rate per minute or fraction thereof, depending on which method of computation produces the higher fare. Since taximeters are turned on and off by the drivers and since the amount of fares which must be reported during each driver shift is based upon the accumulated record of the fare total from a taximeter, it has in the past been relatively easy for a driver to report less accumulated fares than were actually collected. For example, a driver may simply neglect to turn the taximeter on, denoted as "highflagging", and may instead charge a customer an agreed amount for a certain trip. This amount would not appear on the meter and would not be recorded thus not having to be accounted for at the end of the driver's duty shift.
Various attempts have been made to provide taximeters which are not subject to cheating by a driver. However, from experience, taxi drivers are in general a canny group and past taximeters are easily overcome or disabled. Many previously advertised and claimed untamperable taximeters are in fact tamperable. U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,312 (Warrick et al.) shows a mechanical meter having an anti-tampering device.
It has been estimated that, according to one 1973 magazine article, in New York City alone approximately $53.5 million of the total fares collected from taxi customers each year are not acounted for by taxi drivers. Even the most conservative theft estimates declare that theft runs a minimum of $2,000 each year for each taxi. Cheating of this type, which is commonly acknowledged in the taxi business, is a serious problem, and although various methods have been used to reduce the problem, none of the methods have been successful.
A patent issued to Bruce Sanders, U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,706, discloses an electronic taximeter with digital readout. Patents issued to Harwood, U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,186; Fichter et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,806, and Berg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,985 disclose electronic taximeters. A patent issued to Weisbert, U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,442, discloses circuitry to turn on a taximeter by sensing the presence of a passenger by a seat sensor and after twenty-five seconds have elapsed, triggering a circuit to activate a meter which is not previously running. A patent issued to Paz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,986 discloses a counter system to count trips whenever the meter is off and there is a passenger, whenever the taxi reaches the minimum speed. None of these patents disclose a taximeter to prevent highflagging and which is untamperable.
This invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a taximeter which among other new and novel features prevents highflagging and tampering.